The present invention relates to an apparatus for quickly drying fabrics or other materials in an electric field.
Various means have been used in the past to dry or decontaminate military gear and clothing wetted with organic or inorganic liquids. One of the problems of evaporatively decontaminating fabrics wetted with high boiling point material such as oil by means of heating in an oven is the length of time it takes to heat the treated surface up to a temperature where the contaminating fluid has a high vapor pressure. For organics such as oil and chemical agents the combination of higher heat and long time required to raise the wetted material to a level so that the contaminant evaporates, frequently causes the material to lose some of its desired protective properties and life expectancy.
The present invention is superior to the prior art apparatus and method of using heat or natural evaporation because the electric field current carries the liquid molecule away from the contaminated surface directly and efficiently, as against indirectly, and thus inefficiently, by having to heat the wetted surface up to a temperature where the liquid has a large vapor pressure.